1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, and in particular, to a locking method in a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a mobile terminal has a locking function to prevent fraudulent use by others and to prevent the misappropriation of personal information stored therein. Since the mobile terminal is generally used for individual use by a specific person, the manufacturer must provide a safe locking function to guarantee the user's privacy. However, the user may frequently forget a lock code (or password), since he or she typically has many lock codes to memorize, such as a password of a bank account, or a password of an Internet site. In this case, the user must inquire of the service provider about the lock code. However, most users tend to forget information (e.g., phone number and location) about the service provider as time goes by.
A European mobile terminal includes a SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card, which is detachable from the main body of the terminal, and the terminal cannot perform communication when SIM crash occurs due to an erroneous input of the lock code. In addition, when the user cannot unlock the SIM card because he or she has forgotten the lock code, only the SOS call (or emergency call) is available. To unlock the SIM card, the user must personally visit the service provider and update the SIM card. For reference, the lock code system of the European mobile terminal is comprised of a phone lock code, a first lock code (or PIN lock code) and a second lock code (or PUK lock code).
Accordingly, there has been a demand for a mobile terminal which provides service provider information when an incorrect lock code is input.